In recent years, the need for collaborative computing environments has received increasing attention. Especially in book publishing, it has been found to be very time consuming to share data, to have edited versions of hard-copy documents shared by mail, and to exchange electronic copies of documents that are frequently in incompatible digital formats or languages. It is increasingly necessary for editors and authors to share data and to consult with colleagues, who often may be from different occupational disciplines, and who may be located in geographically distant and sometimes even remote places around the world. Since, in general, people prefer to use the tools they employ in their daily work, an important part of any collaborative computing project would be to allow maximal use of currently existing tools with which the user community is already familiar.
Efforts known in the art attempting to achieve electronic collaboration between multiple users include the following:
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,195, (the '195 patent), a multi-user conferencing network that allows all users to share data was disclosed. Word processing and publishing was not mentioned. The program is set up in a hierarchical structure where all users use one and the same application program.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,300 (the '300 patent) details IBM's development of data control systems permitting a central processing unit and peripheral data processing units to share in the subroutines necessary for successful implementation of a word-processing program. The advance claimed in the patent (see especially column 3, lines 44-47) is the ability to more effectively utilize the processing power of personal computers, as opposed to "dumb terminals," when linked to a main computer which houses the data and programs for executing word-processing functions. While enhancements such as those contemplated by the '300 patent may be operational for control of data communications between central and peripheral data processors in commercially available hardware or software systems in which the present group publishing system is implemented, the '300 patent neither discloses nor suggests a means for systematic coordination of the various procedural steps required for successful management of the activities of individual authors and editors who contribute to a group publishing project, which is the basis of the present contribution.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,008,853 and 5,220,657 (the '853 and '657 patents), a real-time, WYSIWIS ("what you see is what I see") system is described for manipulation of so-called "structured data objects," including multi-page documents, wherein each page linked to other pages in a predetermined order, is considered a "structured data object" (see column 1, line 65 to column 2, line 33). Specifically excluded from the types of "structured data objects" that may be employed according to the '853 and '657 patents are hierarchical texts, such as folders, record files, books, shared books themselves, and reference icons (see column 18, lines 43-59 of the '853 patent). As will be seen, the present group publishing system is not so limited. In addition, from column 19, lines 1-15 of the '853 patent, it appears that in order to author or edit any section of a shared data object, a copy of the section of the object must be downloaded from a file server to the particular user's desktop machine, modified, and then re-uploaded to the file server for integration into the shared data object. Accordingly, multiple copies of a given document, or sections thereof, may exist on many different computers at the same time (see column 28, lines 7-8 of the '853 patent). Although the referenced patent relates efforts to update all users as to current data, the fact remains that multiple copies of an existing document may exist at various locations at the same time. As will be seen, this is essentially the inverse of the present system, in which all data and modifications to a group-authored document are made by each user on a single existing document resident on a central computer, thereby avoiding the problem of multiple versions of a document on different computers at the same time. Further, it is noted that throughout, the locking of a document by a given user may be a user-specified function, as opposed to a system imposed function (see for example column 21, lines 24-56 of the '853 patent; however, see also column 23, lines 23-62, which seems to imply some level of automatic system lockup of documents). This raises the difficulty that when other authors or editors need to access a locked document, contact with the locking author may first be required (see column 27, lines 61-68). In addition, if an author or editor fails to lock a document they are working on, others may access unedited versions of the same document, thus causing confusion, loss of time and efficiency. As will be seen, in the instant system, access to a document or subsection thereof automatically prevents others from accessing the document or section until the first author or editor has completed work on that document or section. These and other differences will be apparent from a review of the complete disclosure of the present invention, which follows.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,412, (the '412 patent), a windows-based system was disclosed wherein updating of workspace data structures on linked workspaces was disclosed. The output of the system is a transient display on various terminals. Accordingly, the system does not amount to a system in which a group authored product is produced, as in the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,553, (the '553 patent), an interactive document generation system is described which allows multiple users to essentially instantaneously and concurrently view, edit and share data on linked computers. Requirements of the '553 patented system include that similar computers must be used, and that each computer must be controlled by similar computer programs (see column 4, lines 3-6). Unlike the present invention, the '553 patented system does not involve a central computer that stores data produced by a first user, and which makes the stored data available to other users at a time independent of the first user's input. Further, as will be noted from a review of the instant disclosure, one of the key advantages of the present system is that dissimilar computers may be used in the system, while the central computer software controls the document assembly process.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,615 (the '615 patent), a system for interactive data processing is described wherein participation of a new member is controlled by a first communication, followed by acceptance by existing users, and thereafter, real-time co-processing of data which is transmitted in a ring-like path (each workstation has an upstream and a downstream workstation) from participant to participant. Each participant's machine is required to house similar software for the system to operate as described (see column 4, lines 6-8). Concurrent telephone contact between the participants appears to be critical to the operation of the described system (see column 4, lines 38-40). Details regarding the establishment and termination of the upstream and downstream links forms the basis of the patent. By contrast, the instant invention does not require independent telephone and data links, does not require real-time interaction between users, and does not require similar or identical software to reside on each user's computer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,374, (the '374 patent), a collaborative information processing system and workstation is described wherein multiple users "referencing an identical screen image through data communications" are able to modify documents in real time. The "electronic conversation" that results appears to require separate and concurrent telephonic communications between data processing participants (see column 4, lines 11-19). Each workstation involved in the system is equipped with an "X window system (a trade mark or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) which is a window system of server/client model." (See column 4, line 67 to column 5, line 13). Accordingly, the '374 patent system requires specific software and hardware for operation. The essence of the '374 patent being the control of window modules required to be called up from a windows server, rather than with control means for collaborative document generation, as in the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,619 (the '619 patent), a method and apparatus for collaborative use by a number of users of one or more application program(s) is disclosed, wherein a control program is interposed between the application program(s) and the plurality of users, such that existing application programs intended for single-users may be used by the multiple users, optionally located remotely from each other. By virtue of the control program, all users are simultaneously able to view the output of the application program (column 2, lines 7-11). The subject control program operates using a communication protocol, such as X Windows, in which the application program is treated as a client and the remote users are treated as servers (column 3, lines 35-50). In this way, the application program is "fooled" into operating as if the control program is a single client, whereas each user interacts with the control program as if it were a multi-user capable application program (column 4, lines 27-31; i.e. the control program is a multi-user adapter for a single-user application program). As one example of the way in which the control program of the patent may be used, a simultaneous, interactive editing session of a text document is proposed (column 6, lines 45-64). However, while potentially useful in implementing the communication protocols that may be needed to implement the present invention, the method of the '619 patent neither discloses nor suggests a system, such as that provided by the instant disclosure, by which the efforts of a group of authors may be managed to produce a coherent group-authored project.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,842 (the '842 patent), an object-oriented collaboration system is disclosed wherein, in a real-time fashion, collaborating users of the system are able to concurrently work on a joint project. The '842 patent neither discloses nor suggests a document control system in which each user operates authors or edits a portion of a document which, in combination with similar contributions by other authors or editors, which are uploaded in a defined format structure to a central group authored project, results in the production of the group-authored work.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,872, (the '872 patent), a system is disclosed for enabling multiple remote users to operate a single computer program, the visual output of which is viewable by all users, each of which is able to annotate the display. Each computer using the proprietary system is required to execute the same software (see column 3, lines 3-4). By contrast, the present invention displays modifications to a document only after the modified document is refreshed for display on a network or server computer. In addition, the '872 patented system requires a host computer to execute all application programs such as word processors, whereas in the present invention, an author or editor may perform all tasks on their own workstation prior to making contact with the server and uploading the new data to the group authored project. Furthermore, the '872 patent is principally concerned with a system by which remote users may interactively modify a document, rather than with a management system for controlling the various steps required to successfully implement a group-authored document.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,539 (the '539 patent), addresses itself to the bandwidth constraints that limit effective, contemporaneous multimedia conferencing between individuals located at distributed locations. The stated goal of the '539 patented system is to achieve real-time collaboration between such individuals such that synchronization of real-time video and audio with text, graphic and other asynchronous data occurs over a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and the like. Accordingly, the intent of the patented system is the enhancement of real-time communications, as opposed to centralized, sequential (or asynchronous) assembly of a group authored project by a plurality of distributed users.
As is apparent from a review of the above discussed existing systems, there has been an emphasis in the collaborative computing arts to achieve, as much as possible, a real-time synchrony between distributed users of a system to achieve immediate conferencing or project modification. By contrast, as will be appreciated from a review of the full disclosure herein, the present invention provides an improved system for achieving centralized, sequential (or asynchronous) assembly of a group authored project by a plurality of distributed users.